Changsha 3-Day Travel Guide

When it comes to Changsha, the first thing that comes to mind is Chairman Mao and the delicious food. Changsha has many famous delicacies that are popular all over the country, such as Changsha stinky tofu, Changsha big sausage, etc. “Coming to Changsha without eating stinky tofu is like coming for nothing, Chairman Mao personally nominated it…” This catchy advertisement phrase echoes in our minds. So, how should we spend our 3 days in Changsha?

Previously, I rarely came across any Changsha travel guides, mainly because Changsha isn’t a typical tourist city, so there’s limited information available. Today, someone asked me about it, so I decided to put together a travel guide.

In terms of attractions, you can visit Yuelu Mountain, Orange Island, and stroll around the Pedestrian Street in the evening. If you have time to spare, you can visit Jinggang Ancient Town!

Here is a simple 3-day itinerary for your reference.

Day 1:

Morning: Visit Yuelu Mountain, the West River University City (Central South University, Hunan University, Hunan Normal University), and Orange Island (if you have time);

Afternoon: Visit Ningxiang Huangcai Song City Tanhe Ancient Town (recommended)

Evening: Watch the Meixi Lake Music Fountain;

Day 2:

Morning: Visit the Chuanshan Academy, Changsha Bamboo Slips Museum

Afternoon: Visit Taiping Old Street, Chaozong Old Street, Du Fu Jiangge;

Evening: Stroll around Huangxing Road Pedestrian Street and enjoy various snacks at Nanmenkou;

Day 3:

Morning: Visit Tianxin Pavilion, Baisha Ancient Well;

Afternoon: Visit the old campus of the First Normal School (a great place to take pictures). This is where Chairman Mao studied and worked. He spent 8 years here. The predecessor of the school was Chengnan Academy during the Southern Song Dynasty. Mao Zedong studied in the 8th classroom of the school and later taught in the 22nd classroom.

Most hotels in Changsha charge for disposable items, ranging from 5 yuan to 10 yuan per pack, so it’s advisable to bring your own towels, slippers, and toiletries.

Changsha offers many accommodation options, from homestays to various star-rated hotels. It is recommended to choose accommodation near Wuyi Square or Pozi Street. If you follow our suggested itinerary, it’s best to stay near Wuyi Square.

Orange Island’s weekend fireworks display takes place from May 1st to October 31st every year, lasting 20 minutes every Saturday evening. If you’re visiting now (around the end of October), you’re in for a treat.

Tanhe Ancient Town in Ningxiang has many interesting activities and is definitely worth a visit. It’s also easy to make a day trip from Changsha (you can add this to your fourth day’s itinerary).

Taiping Old Street is free to enter. Walk not far from the entrance of Taiping Street, and you’ll find the Jia Yi Former Residence:

9:00 AM – 11:30 AM, 12:30 PM – 4:30 PM. Visit with ID card registration.

It’s recommended to carry your ID card with you while traveling.

Jia Yi’s former residence is known as the “source of Hunan culture.” It’s also a landmark cultural heritage of Changsha as the “Hometown of Qu Yuan and Jia Yi.” It’s not very big and you can finish the tour in about half an hour.

Chaozong Old Street: Free

First Normal School Old Campus: Free

The Mao Zedong Youth Art Sculpture stands tall at the head of Orange Island in Changsha. The sculpture highlights Mao Zedong’s ambitious and youthful image. Overall height: 32 meters, length 83 meters, width 41 meters, total area 3500 square meters. The sculpture is based on the image of Mao Zedong in his youth in 1925. The famous poem “Qinyuanchun·Changsha” was written by Mao Zedong at the head of Orange Island in Changsha during his youth.

Changsha’s snacks mainly include: Spicy shrimp, Changsha stinky tofu, sugar and oil glutinous rice balls, yellow duck call, Deyuan buns, spicy chicken, Yangyuxing, etc. The Changsha snack streets are concentrated in Pozi Street, Huogongdian, Huangxing Road Pedestrian Street Snack Street, Nanmenkou, etc.

Let’s talk about transportation.

Transportation in Changsha is quite convenient. You can choose the subway, bus, Didi Chuxing (ride-hailing service), etc. The starting fare for taxis is 8 yuan/2 kilometers.

Airport transportation:

1. There are 3 airport bus routes to downtown Changsha: Wuyi Avenue Civil Aviation Hotel, South Bus Station, and Helong Stadium Darong and Holiday Hotel. The fare is 16.5 yuan, with a frequency of about 40 minutes.

2. You can also take Route 114 to travel between the train station and Huanghua Airport. The journey is longer, costing 3 yuan, operating from 6:30 AM to 6:30 PM.

3. A taxi from the airport to downtown Changsha costs around 90 yuan.

Train station transportation:

Changsha Railway Station is centrally located, with convenient transportation, and has multiple bus routes: 1, 7, 9, 12, 104, 107, 114, 117, 118, 127, 202, 312, Tourism Route 1, Lishan Special Line.

Changsha South Station High-speed Rail Transportation:

Turn right after exiting the South Station, and you will see multiple bus routes: 16, 63, 66, 124, 135, 159, 160, 348, 503.

Changsha’s climate

The best time to travel to Changsha is from October to the following May. Except for the high temperatures in summer, Changsha is suitable for traveling in all other seasons. Spring in Changsha begins after mid-February. The weather is unpredictable, so tourists are advised to dress warmly to avoid catching a cold. Summer arrives in late May. Although Changsha is known as the “fire furnace,” it’s still necessary to cover yourself with a blanket at night even in the dog days of summer in the mountains. Autumn starts in mid-August, with temperatures ranging from 15°C to 20°C. The weather is cool and pleasant, making it a good time to visit Orange Island to admire the red leaves. Winter begins in late November, with an average temperature of around 5°C. It sometimes snows. This is a good time to visit the mountains to see the ice formations.